Church of St Agnes and St Pancras, Toxteth Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Agnes and St Pancras, Toxteth Park |
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| 53°23′22″N 2°56′23″W / 53.3895°N 2.9398°W | |
| OS grid reference | SJ 375,884 |
| Location | Toxteth Park, Liverpool |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Churchmanship | Anglo-Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 14 March 1975 |
| Architect(s) | John Loughborough Pearson |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Groundbreaking | 1883 |
| Completed | 1885 |
| Construction cost | £28,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Red brick with red sandstone dressings, tile roof |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Toxteth and Wavertree |
| Archdeaconry | Archdeaconry of Liverpool |
| Diocese | Diocese of Liverpool |
| Province | Province of York |
The Church of St Agnes and St Pancras is a beautiful old church located on Ullet Road in Toxteth Park, Liverpool, England. It's a very important building, listed as Grade I, which means it's one of the most special historic buildings in the country. A famous expert named Nikolaus Pevsner called it "by far the most beautiful Victorian church of Liverpool." It's an active Anglican church, part of the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool.
Contents
History of the Church
This amazing church was built a long time ago, between 1883 and 1885. It cost a lot of money, about £28,000 back then. A kind stockbroker named H. Douglas Horsfall paid for the whole thing. The church was designed by a famous architect named John Loughborough Pearson.
The Church Today
The church follows a special tradition within the Church of England called Anglo-Catholic. This means it has some practices similar to the Roman Catholic Church. Because of its traditions, the church receives guidance from a special bishop, currently Stephen Race.
Discover the Architecture
The Church of St Agnes and St Pancras has a unique and beautiful design.
Outside the Church
The church is built with red bricks and has red sandstone details. Its roof is made of tiles. The main part of the church, called the nave, has four sections. It has lower parts on the sides, called aisles, and a row of windows higher up, called a clerestory. There are also parts sticking out on the ends, called transepts.
On the south side, there's a small chapel with its own aisles. The main altar area, called the chancel, is short and ends in a round shape called an apse. Around the apse is a walkway called an ambulatory, with towers on either side. At the front, there are two porches. The ends of the church and the transepts have strong supports called buttresses and crosses on their pointed roofs. A tall, thin spire, called a flèche, rises over the middle of the church. The windows are either tall and narrow (lancets) or have decorative stone patterns.
Inside the Church
The inside of the church is covered with light-colored Caen stone. In the northwest transept, you'll find the baptistry. It has a beautiful font made of marble, carved by an artist named Nathaniel Hitch. He also worked on Truro Cathedral.
The nave has rows of arches, called arcades, supported by round pillars. Above these arches are balconies. In the northeast transept, there's a special area for the organ. It's a round platform held up by a central column of black marble and ten smaller columns around its edge.
The south chapel is known as the Lady Chapel. Its screen and the decorative piece behind the altar (reredos) were designed by G. F. Bodley in 1904. The ambulatory goes around the apse and is separated from the main altar area by arches. These arches have statues of angel musicians in the spaces above them.
Higher up, there's a detailed carving in high relief showing the Adoration of the Lamb. Above this are more angel statues under small decorative roofs. The main altar's reredos and the carvings in the apse were also created by Nathaniel Hitch. The pulpit, where sermons are given, is carved from Italian marble. It shows the Apostles and important early Christian leaders.
The church has beautiful stained glass windows made by artists like Kempe and Herbert Bryans. The original pipe organ, built by Wordsworth and Maskell, hasn't worked since 1996. However, its beautiful case and most of its pipes are still there, waiting for a future restoration. An electronic organ is used instead.
Other Buildings Nearby
Behind the church, you'll find the vicarage, which is where the vicar lives. It was built between 1885 and 1887. H. Douglas Horsfall's mother paid for it. This building is also very old and special, listed as Grade II*.
Also behind the church, and connected by a walkway, is the church hall. It was likely built in 1887 by the same architect, Norman Shaw. The hall is also made of red brick with a tile roof. It's listed as Grade II.
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in Merseyside
- Grade I listed churches in Merseyside
- List of new ecclesiastical buildings by J. L. Pearson
